The List: 5 Feb 2004 (Issue 487)

1 . Remember school sports days when everyone had to pull on opposite ends of a rope before the bossy kid at the back. who had the SAS StirViyal

Handbook. started shooting ‘9 . . . t3 . .

heaye'.

someone at the front fell over and

everyone else started laughing? l‘as is like that. only with people who know what they're domg and have national pride at stake.

2. It’s like the Champions League, the World Cup and the Boat Race rolled into one. Ihe il‘."(3 day f'estryt of rope yanking begins with a Glasgoy'r versus Fdrnhurgh battle of the ll'll‘.'(}l'SlI|(?S_ trier there are two days of club competition before the \l'y/orld Indoor (Zl‘a ni>2or‘.sh.p proper starts. Iwenty sides. including SIXII'T. Italy. the USA. Indra. (It‘it‘a and the Channel Islands are entered in

various \.'.'erghts.

3. The competitors don’t all look like undernourished rakes. Most sports'ner‘. and txrorr‘c-n are. let's he hor‘est. "at'ier (izftzciilt for the rest of us to

sachets' And lest we forget. they. are {1(2‘.'(}tIlS(}(l by a ma" 1". a k'lt with no pants

and two an‘tised carter.

Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication. Sports listings are subject to change, so please check in advance. Listings are compiled by Maureen Ellis.

.'..) .ltl‘, H l.

Glasgow

I Football: Hibernian v Rangers IIampden I’ark. I.etherhy I)ri\ e. (ilh ()IIIIII. Spot. In a repeat ol the Scottish ('up third round tie. Ilihs take on Rangers in the semi ﬁnal ol' the ('IS (tip. Alter knocking ('eItic out ol the competition. Ilihs \y ill he hoping to make it an Old I‘irm douhle.

I Football: Spartans v Livingston (‘ity I’ark. I’erry Road. Ipm. Sold otit. With special permission lrom the council. health and sat'ety. the police and just about anyone \\ ith a clip board. the Spartans continue their dream cup run playing host to I.i\ \y. Are yye in tor a shock.’

I Football: Kilmarnock v Rangers Rughy Park. Rugby Road. Kilmarnock. 01563 525IS4. 3pm. .Another all-premier pairing. Rangers could make it a cup douhle it they ease past Killie tor a third time this season.

Tuesday 10

Outside the cities

I Dundee United v Hibernian 'Iannadice Park. 'I‘annadice Street. Dundee. (H.382 S'33Ioo. 7.45pm. Bohhy \Villiannon and his side head north for a dil'ﬁcuIt tie against a strong I'nited side.

I Climbing: Steve McClure .-\dyenture ('entre. South I’Iatt lIiII. Ratho. 333 h333. 7.45pm. £5. The t‘cnoyyncd climher giyes a talk on the highlights t‘rom his career. itnparting the dit‘l'iculties he laced trying to succeed at the 0a grade.

FRIENDLY FIRE

The media spotlight cast on John Hartson’s future at Celtic may well have dimmed, but you can bet that his name will be on the lips of every pundit and fan come mid-February. The Bhoys’ striker will have his loyalties firmly in the Welsh camp when he pulls on a red jersey to play in a friendly against Scotland. Facing up against team-mates Rab Douglas, Jackie McNamara and even new signing Stephen Pearson, Hartson could really put the frighteners on a shaky Scotland defence. Scotland and Wales both saw their Euro 2004 dreams evaporate on a fateful night back in November, so expect this tie to carry more weight than the friendly title might suggest.